The Resurrection of Valentine's Day
by KricketWilliams
Summary: When one team member decides to mourn the passing of a holiday, it brings about discussions about how others feel about the holiday. Tiny  Valentine's Story. As usual, I don't own a thing.


_AN: Dedicated to Angie and Sara, because frankly, I think Prentiss and Reid would have more common sense than the other two...and you all KNOW how I love them!...Because they haven't been dancing around this for anywhere near as long! Happy Valentine's Day, everyone...Thank you, Kirst, for the title, and Harley for staying I needed to post it. :)_

"Did someone die?"

When Spencer Reid said that comment, it was so odd, it made Derek Morgan look up at the door of the conference room and see what he was looking at. Reid said weird things often, but nothing quite that strange.

Penelope was walking in, wearing a dark, somber dress, along with a black patent leather belt cinching her waist. She had black tights, too, and black, shiny shoes. A little pillbox hat with a black lacy veil that played peek-a-boo with her left eye completed the outfit.

"An uncle or something?" Derek questioned, realizing Reid's comment wasn't that far off the mark after all.

"No one died, but I am mourning something," she said with a dramatic sigh, sitting at the table next to the two gentlemen.

"What?" Reid asked, his brow creasing, showing his curiosity.

"Valentine's Day," she said flatly. "I am mourning the passing of Valentine's Day without me participating in it in any fashion this year."

Derek shook his head with a grin. "Seriously, woman. You do everything with flair."

"This is quite a solemn experience, Derek Morgan," she argued with a frown. "Every year, Kevin had made Valentine's special."

"Really," he remarked flatly, leaning back in his chair and crossing his ankle on his knee. "Considering he was a yutz for three-hundred-sixty-four days, how did ol' Lynch make things so great that day?"

Derek had been there to pick up the pieces when Penelope had called him two months ago, just before Christmas, sobbing because Kevin had broken up with her. It had been a long time coming, but Penelope hadn't wanted to see the signs. It was easier to just continue as is with Kevin than to fight the dating rat race again.

Unfortunately, it painted Kevin in an even worse light in Derek's mind, because of the holidays coming up.

"He has shitty timing, Baby," Derek had mused.

Penelope hadn't really thought so; when was there ever a good time to break up?

"He bought me candy, flowers, a nice card," she answered, shrugging her shoulders. "You know, traditional Valentine's stuff."

She could so easily read the look on Derek's face: _Whoop-de-freaking-do._

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "Okay, Derek Morgan. Since you think you can do _so much better_-"

"I didn't say anything!" He looked over at Reid in mock indignation. "Did I say anything?"

Reid, showing his 187 IQ, wisely said nothing.

"You didn't have to, mister!" she hissed, her hands on her hips, staring him down. "I-"

"Lover's quarrel?" Emily asked innocently, walking into the room while they continued to bicker.

"Morgan insulted Garcia's ex-boyfriend's choice of acquisitions for the Valentine 'holiday'," Reid said, offering the usual play-by-play, and making air quotes around the last word.

Prentiss frowned at him. "What is your problem with Valentine's?"

He began to explain, the same carbon copy thing he had said for years about one of his most _hated_ times of the year. "It isn't a true holiday, per se. It's manufactured by-"

"Greeting card companies," Prentiss finished, looking very disappointed. "Not you, too!"

His eyes were wide, but his brows were down in consternation. "You don't believe that, Prentiss? I thought you were far too practical and pragmatic to fall for something so...so...trivial."

She glared at him. "Hey, even us 'practical' and 'pragmatic'-"she made air quotes around the two words, like he would- "girls like candy and flowers sometimes."

"Candy and flowers?" Derek asked, stopping his arguing with Penelope. "Are you saying that Lynch and his generic, crappy ass, whoop-de-freaking-do gifts-"

"I knew it!" Penelope squealed, pointing at him.

He ignored her and continued, "is what you women really want?"

Emily arched a brow. "And you guys don't want the guaranteed sex that comes with those flowers and candy?"

Derek opened his mouth to retort, then closed it. He pointed a finger at her, then made a fist and lowered his hand. Opened his mouth one more time, then closed it again.

Emily nodded with a smile over at Garcia, and said before sitting down, "I rest my case."

"Anyway, Valentine's is on a Monday this year," Penelope mused, pouting. "Not like anything good _ever _happens on a Monday."

Derek moved his chair even closer to hers and picked up her hand. "Nonsense, woman. I love Mondays."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Why?"

He kissed her hand. "That's the first day of the week I get to see you."

She smiled at him. "Awww...Hot Stuff. Thanks."

"By the way...You're rocking the black look today, sugar," he said, giving her a sexy, half grin.

"Thank you," she replied, blushing just slightly.

Emily looked back at Reid and rolled her eyes, shaking her head slightly, then looked back at her paper.

"Emily?"

She looked up."What?"

He tugged his tie and swallowed, his prominent Adam's apple bobbing visibly. "Ah...if I...umm...were to bring you some of those aforementioned Valentine's presents, w-would you think of spending Monday with me?"

By the time he was done, he was adorably pink, about the same color as a Valentine's heart. It warmed her heart, and made her smile.

"There's a good chance of that," she said teasingly. "Let's see how good those presents are."

"Oh, they'll be very good!" he added excitedly, and she could tell he was tallying ideas in his mind.

"Enough to get the guarantee that goes with it, Reid?" she asked suggestively, wiggling her eyebrows.

Although the pink in his cheeks had turned to scarlet, she could see the excitement in his eyes and the wheels turning in his head. She began to chuckle, a low, knowing laugh.

Those presents would be very, _very_ good!

"Alright, team," Hotch said, walking in. "We have a case. Little Rock, Arkansas..."

Reid and Prentiss turned to watch the presentation, smiles on both of their faces, and Morgan and Garcia turned, too-while still holding hands...

... And all four people knew it was going to be a very happy Valentine's Day this year.


End file.
